The College Tour Goes Online

"New websites paint a portrait of college and university life, providing one-stop shopping for prospective students."

By the Christian Science Monitor's Stacy Teicher Khadaro

How to Wow a College Recruiter

An important insight from a college interview: "The interview is over. There's still one thing left to do."

By Elliot Weinbaum in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Magic Number? Students Wonder How Many AP Courses the College of Their Dreams Wants to See

By Andrea Wolberg, Winston-Salem Journal

Student Aid Changes Could Ripple

By Justin Pope, Associated Press

Smaller Mass. Colleges Court Out-of-Staters

By Peter Schworm, The Boston Globe

Notoriously Selective Stanford Considers Accepting More Students

By Carrie Sturrock, San Francisco Chronicle

In College Admissions Essay, Most Important Subject is You

By Brian Vachon, Rutland Herald (VT)

Yale's Early Admit Rate declines to 18.1 percent

Friday night wrap-up of some early admissions figures so far.

By Caitlin Roman, Yale Daily News

High School Seniors Endure a Cliffhanger

By Jason Song, Los Angeles Times

Duke Accepts 472 Early Decision Applicants

From the Asheville Citizen-Times

Brown Early Acceptance Rate Steady at 22.6 Percent

By Rachel Arndt, Brown Daily Herald

Colleges Find New Ways To Retain Diversity

By Robin Erb, Detroit Free Press

Harvard Boosts Financial Aid

By Justin Pope, Associated Press Newswires

Tulane Campus Falls to Pieces

By Sarah Manthey, The Hullabaloo

SAT Scores At UGA Continue To Rise Despite Drops In National Average

By Megan Peddycord, The Athens Exchange

Colleges Probe Students' Personal Troubles

By Larry Gordon, The Los Angeles Times

Big Frosh Class Leads To Fewer Admissions Spots

News from NYU via Eric Platt at the Washington Square News.

How to Get Into Harvard

A Wall Street Journal study finds that certain high schools have a remarkable record of sending their students to elite colleges.

By Ellen Gamerman

Tactical College Consulting In The News

Thanks to David Hill for his informative business profile of Tactical College Consulting, which appeared in both the Owings Mills Times and Baltimore Messenger.

Are AP Classes Advanced Enough?

By Sarah Lemagie, Minneapolis Star Tribune

College Application Supplements Becoming Big Pain

As viewed at Education Week (and written by the Associated Press)

When Zoe Portman finished her essay for the Common Application — the widely used college-admissions form that can be sent to multiple schools — she thought she had completed the bulk of the application process.

But the senior at Harriton High School in Rosemont, Pa., who is using the Common Application to apply to 10 schools, was in for a surprise: the supplementary forms that nine out of the 10 schools require along with the Common Application. It looked easy at first, Ms. Portman says, but then "you realize there's question after question that you have to answer."

By the time she finishes it all, she says, she will have given written responses describing everything from a risk she once had to take to the place where she grew up. "It's such a hassle," she says.

The Common Application was introduced in 1975 to streamline the admissions process for students, but as the experiences of Ms. Portman and countless others this college-application season show, it has evolved into something far from simple.

The supplements have become more demanding, creating headaches for applicants, as an increasing number of colleges — particularly more-selective institutions such as Stanford University and Northwestern University — have started accepting the Common Application. At the same time, applicants and counselors have bristled at attempts by Common Application Inc., the nonprofit group that supplies the form, to prohibit students from tweaking their essays and other parts of the application for different colleges. The frustration has helped to create an opening for a new rival, the Universal College Application, which arrived this year and is already accepted by more than 50 schools.

The Common Application board used to require that a school's supplement be limited to one page. But it changed that policy in 1995, as more highly selective institutions that said they needed to ask specific questions of their applicant pools began to join the consortium.

Now, more colleges than ever — about 70 percent of the Common Application's 316 participating schools — require students to fill out supplements. "We philosophically believe our members should be able to ask any questions they need to ask to enroll the classes they want," says Rob Killion, executive director of Common Application Inc., which charges member schools a fee.

In response to criticism, Common Application Inc. is trying to limit students' application workload. This year, it is asking colleges to eliminate any duplicate questions that appear on both the Common Application and institutional supplements. It is also trying to curtail the amount of changes students can make to the application for each school.

"The Common Application is caught in a tug of war between colleges and secondary schools," says Mr. Killion. Colleges need to ask as many questions as they can to help provide a better picture of each applicant before making admissions decisions, he says. High schools, on the other hand, want to keep the process simple for students.

In some cases, colleges themselves have tried to cut down on the extra work required of applicants. For example, Johns Hopkins University this year made it clearer that freshmen applicants could choose to write the Common Application essay and skip one of the two essays on the school's supplemental form. Last year, the phrasing on the supplement encouraged students to complete both the school's essays even if they had done the Common Application essay, says Director of Undergraduate Admissions John Latting.

High-school seniors say that in some cases, filling out the Common Application plus the required supplements amount to just as much work as filling out individual institutions' applications. Emily Paulhus, 17, a senior at Windham High School in Willimantic, Conn., is applying to five schools using the Common Application, four of which require supplements. "It's not a ton of time saved," says Ms. Paulhus, who on a recent weekend spent six hours sitting in a chair staring at the supplements.

The University of Pennsylvania, which started using the application last year, requires on its supplement two short-answer questions and an essay on why freshmen applicants' interests are a good match for the school. It also offers an optional essay with three suggested topics. The University of Chicago — known for its "Uncommon Application," which asks unusual essay questions — will begin accepting the Common Application next year. It plans to continue asking unique questions in its supplement. Applicants to schools that require supplementary essays must still write the essay for the Common Application.

"We've had to police the supplements pretty closely to keep them under control to make sure they don't become another application," says Tom Parker, dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College and a Common Application board member.

This July, concerned that allowing applicants to modify their essays for different colleges undermined the intent of the Common Application, the board decided to restrict students from making changes.

The move resulted in a backlash from independent guidance counselors, who said students should be able to tailor their essays to different institutions and — at the very least — be able to change some parts of the application, such as financial-aid intent or major, which could vary from school to school. Last month, the Common Application board backpedaled and decided to hold off on the changes until next year.

Brett Cohen, 17, a senior at the North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, Fla., got caught up in the confusion. When Mr. Cohen sent in the Common Application to the University of Tampa, he listed "Study Hall" as a course. He decided he wanted to list "Yearbook" instead to make a stronger statement when he applied to Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. But he found he couldn't copy his application and make the change.

Mr. Cohen is concerned about whether it will affect him. "You want to do everything perfect for college," says Mr. Cohen. "One slip-up, you never know."

For the rest of the current admissions cycle, students will be able to change their applications for different schools. But Mr. Killion says that the Common Application plans to implement restrictions in 2008. Applicants will still be able to change their financial-aid intent and majors for different colleges — but they won't be able to alter their essays and responses to short-answer questions.

A new for-profit contender, the Universal College Application, launched this year. The application, which permits participating schools to use supplements, was created by the Common Application's former software developer and also charges schools that use it a fee. It asks questions similar to the Common Application and can be modified for different schools.

Unlike the Common Application, though, membership isn't restricted to colleges that require essays and recommendations. Harvard University, Duke University and Johns Hopkins, among others, have begun accepting the application as a way to broaden their applicant pools.

Some high school counselors prefer the school's own application in certain cases, even though colleges say that they view all applications equally. (Many colleges offer students a choice between the Common Application and their own.) "If there's a substantial difference between the two, you should really use the institutional application," says Cigus Vanni, school counselor at Cherry Hill High School West in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Many counselors and deans of admissions say that the Common Application is still the most efficient way to apply to multiple colleges, as it eliminates the chore of filling out background information required by every institution. The application's intent was never to eliminate all the work on the student's part, but rather the redundancy of the background questions that are needed for each school, Mr. Killion says. Extensive essays are unavoidable, as schools "are going to need those answers regardless of the Common Application," he says.

The more important question students should be asking, Mr. Killion says, is, "Do you really want to answer your mother's name more than once?"

What to Do While Waiting for Admission Letters

Tips for keeping track of your college applications and keeping admissions officers in the loop

By Jackie Mantey, U.S. News & World Report

Relax! No need for the panic button quite yet.

Competition Stiff for Coveted Schools

By Erica Erwin, Erie Times-News

UC Panel Urges Eligibility Change to Cut Guaranteed Admissions

by Tanya Schevitz, San Fransisco Chronicle

Preparation is Called Key to Avoiding 'Mass Hysteria' On Test Day

By Pamela Marean, SouthCoastToday.com (MA)

Eighth-Graders: Welcome to College Prep

By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After The First Try, Put Those Pencils Down

Students who take the PSAT more than once are wasting their time, some say.

More from Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times

Ten Stupid Ways to Ruin Your College Application

By Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

College Application Process Goes Paperless

By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Good Research Can Aid College Search

This is not much of a shocker, but it's worth reviewing.

By Jennifer Burk, Macon Telegraph

Tracking College Application Odyssey

The Baltimore Jewish Times' Rochelle Eisenberg begins a multi-part series on college admissions.

Will AP or IB Really Get You College Credit?

By Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

Thank-You Note Enters College Admission Game

Every detail does matter.

By Karen W. Arenson, The New York Times

Long Island Counselors Pitch Students to Colleges

By Dave Marcus, Newsday

Top Students Anxious to Get Picked

By Robin Erb, Detroit Free Press

Male Admit Rate Higher at Many Schools

By Victoria Fosdal in The Georgetown Hoya

High School Senior Year Not A Time For Slacking Off

By Kathleen Megan, The Hartford Courant

Stetson Departure | How Can I Get In? With Dean Gone, Answer May Change

Questions continue at Penn...by Emily Babay, The Daily Pennsylvanian

Parents and the College Admissions Craze

By Karen Stabiner, The Huffington Post

Op-Ed: Prophets of Admission

An insightful take on the wacky world of college admissions by Naomi Schaefer Riley of the Wall Street Journal.

New York Times Mag: The College Issue

New York Times Magazine goes college cover to cover this week with such articles as...

Don't Worry, Be Students
The New Affirmative Action
Re-Engineering Engineering
Academic Business
Campuspeak by William Safire

College-Admissions Group Weighs Calls to Dump SAT

By Scott J. Cech, Education Week

Efforts to Create a Standard Early-Admissions Policy Run Into Trouble

By Tamar Lewin, The New York Times

From Combat to the Campus

A new program helps recently wounded soldiers attend college. By Alex Kingsbury, US News & World Report.

College-Bound Scramble For Spot

By Adam Emerson in the Tampa Tribune

15-Year-Old Starts Freshman Year At Penn

A pretty extreme case of competition for all those students looking at the Ivy League - no pressure or anything.

By Kathy Matheson, The Associated Press

Standardized tests feed a misguided frenzy at schools

By Mitchell Schnurman, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Yale May Expand Enrollment as Levin Sees Ivy League Competition

From Brian K. Sullivan in Bloomberg News

Officials Blame Math Test For Decline

This informative Baltimore Examiner article by education reporter Kelsey Volkmann focuses in on Maryland students' performance on the SAT and includes a quote by Craig Meister of Tactical College Consulting, LLC.

Earlier Admissions May Be Back For Colleges

By Bill Schackner of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

What's Up With The SAT?

Scores are down, but the reasons why are up for debate.

The article from the San Francisco Chronicle's Matthew B. Stannard.

Further discussion in "Meaning of dip in SAT scores debated" by Peter Smolowitz and Ann Doss Helms of the Charlotte Observer

Welcome, Freshmen — Grab a Toga

Can you guess which college boozed its way to top of The Princeton Review's annual list of country's top party schools? The answer, via Fox News.

Paying With Less Pain

"There's Still Time For Students To Improve Their Chances Of Earning An Affordable Degree" via USNews & World Report and CBS News

Time To Think Globally

"Study Abroad Can Be Great, But Do Your Homework To Avoid Nightmares" via USNews & World Report and CBS News

US News Rankings Released

They are out, the yearly bible for so many. Make of them what you will - they generally do reflect the degree of selectivity of the colleges and universities at the very top of the heap.

Top National Universities

Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Top Business Programs

Top Engineering Programs at Doctoral Universities

Top Engineering Programs at Non-Doctoral Schools

More...

Need Extra Help? Don't Be Afraid To Ask

"Learning Disabilities Don't Need To Hold A Student Back At College" via USNews & World Report and CBS News

It Begins!

Another college admissions season is upon us. The casual observer can tell by the increase in college-themed editions of magazines such as Newsweek (on news stands now) and US News & World Report (upcoming), but to the admissions professional, it comes in the form of a deluge of calls with questions about everything from "Should I take the ACT/SAT again?" to "How soon can I get that application in?"

Included below is a sampling of Newsweek's wall-to-wall (some might say hyperactive and alarmist) coverage of another year in college admissions. When reading them, consider the source (Newsweek is owned by the same parent company of Kaplan test prep centers) and try not to get too wrapped up in the hype.

For students in need of personalized attention and comprehensive guidance, call the most trusted name in college admissions counseling services: Tactical College Consulting, LLC. 410-526-2558.

Newsweek's 25 Hottest Schools by Jay Mathews - Essentially fluff and important only to the colleges mentioned

The Search for Authenticity by Bruce Poch - A leading admissions dean (Pomona) explains what colleges really want. It's all about getting the complete picture of a student without packaging by consultants (furthering the myth that all consultants are trying to airbrush clients or get them into schools "undeservedly").

I'm Counting Every Penny by Chima Nwankwo - Many of his classmates are rich (gasp!). He's not (really?). A Berkeley student from Nigeria explains how he handles the financial challenges of American education (it can be done!).

Is Your Campus Safe? by Andrew Murr - Many colleges have new security systems in place. But students and parents still need to do some detective work.

After Virginia Tech by Daniel McGinn - A tragedy showed the risk of underestimating mental-health problems. Now schools are intervening sooner (according to Newsweek).

One Family's Road Trip by Howard Fineman and Daughter Fineman - A Newsweek father and daughter find that the campus visit is a journey of discovery—about schools, life and how one generation can best guide another (this one strikes me as particularly nauseating - let me count the ways...among them, that Meredith seems not to have gained much so far from Annenberg).

The Green Campus by Anne Underwood - How to teach new respect for the environment? The 3 R's: reduce your carbon footprint, reuse and recycle (I wonder why Newsweek's circulation is down?)

In Study Abroad, Gifts and Money for Universities

The New York Times' Diana Jean Schemo exposes just the tip of the iceberg of nefarious activities surrounding the world of study abroad. All students who have an interest in studying abroad must do almost as much homework into vetting programs as they did for vetting colleges to attend after high school.

As a former Study Abroad office employee and as a student who chose to work abroad and study abroad, my best advice is do your research early. Many colleges will only accept courses from "approved" partner universities. Still others will have their own satellite campuses run by their own faculty.

A major problem students run into is studying in the local language. If you know when you are applying to colleges that you will want to study in a foreign country in English rather than in the local language, it is important to ask admissions representatives and even Office of International Programs employees how many English-centric programs are available (FOR CREDIT) in non-English speaking countries.

Some schools (like NYU) have many such programs, while others (like Penn and Columbia) have relatively few. At the later type of college, students first must attain a proficiency in the foreign language before they can apply to study in a country (let's say Spain), then the must only take classes offered in the local language once they arrive (in this case, Spanish).

Ask questions early and you won't be disappointed later!

More Are Taking a Rain Check on College

Do you want to join "the ranks of maverick students who take a "gap year" -- time off between high school and college..?"

"Some do it to find enlightenment and introspection, others to learn something new or pursue a passion."

More from Ian Shapira in the Washington Post

Update: Following the publication of the article, the Washington Post held a live online discussion forum for those wanting to explore the issue of "gap" years in more depth. Included in the conversation were Ian Shapira, the original article's author, Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard College and Holly Bull, president of the Center for Interim Programs with offices in Princeton, N.J., and Cambridge, Mass.

Slow Summer Days Are Busy Time for College Tours

By Genevieve Marshall, The (Allentown, PA) Morning Call, via the Arizona Republic

Certain Degrees Now Cost More at Public Universities

"Should an undergraduate studying business pay more than one studying psychology? Should a journalism degree cost more than one in literature? More and more public universities, confronting rising costs and lagging state support, have decided that the answers may be yes and yes."

By Jonathan D. Glater, The New York Times

Editorial: Gender Bias In College Admissions

"As schools continue to court male applicants, some admission counselors recommend making elementary and secondary schools more boy-friendly. And strengthening boys' education will better prepare them for college."

More: The Christian Science Monitor

Test-Optional Colleges Won't Require SATs

"With the traditional focus on taking the SATs and ACTs, it may be surprising to learn that some colleges allow prospective students to omit these scores from their applications."

By Amy Fagan, The Washington Times

Happy Independence Day 2007

Ten Ways to Reduce College Application Stress

Summer is a slow time of year for college admissions news, so to satiate your hunger for a July post to the Tactical Blog, we have this Jay Mathews column from The Washington Post. Some suggestions are more serious than others, but all contribute to a good thought exercise nonetheless.

Some Colleges to Drop Out of U.S. News Rankings

By Alan Finder, The New York Times

Schedule a Personalized College Admissions Consultation to Meet Your Unique Needs

Now is the time to call Tactical College Consulting, LLC in order to get personalized advice on what tests to take, when to take them, who to target for recommendations, how to ace the college interview, which colleges to visit, what to be on the look out for when visiting colleges, when to apply (Early, Rolling, Regular), which colleges to apply to, what to emphasize on your resume, how to put together an extraordinary application, and so much more!

Don't get lost in the application shuffle this fall. Get the individual attention you deserve. Schedule your Tactical College Consulting, LLC consultation or "strategy session" today! For more information, or to learn about our other service options/packages, call 410-526-2558 or visit our main page at tacticalcc.com.

In Case You Missed It: Google Bans Essay Writing Adverts

Good news from the UK - not that any Tactical College Consulting, LLC client would need such a service, but interesting nonetheless.

More: BBC News

Quick Background on SAT's Optional Subject Tests

Via California and the Orange County Register

With Applications From Nontraditional Students Rising, More Universities Are Revamping Evaluation Methods

By Michael Alison Chandler, The Washington Post

U.S. High School Courses Lack Rigor Needed to Prepare Students for College-Level Coursework

As we take stock of the academic year that was, the folks at the ACT give us sobering news that should spur action from both parents and school administrators across the country.

"U.S. high school core courses too often lack the rigor they need to adequately prepare students for college-level work, according to a new report from ACT, Inc. The research report, titled Rigor at Risk, suggests that even students who take the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school are often ill-prepared to handle college material. The findings also suggest that many students lose academic momentum during their last two years of high school."

To read this important report in its entirety (60 pages) or simply a press release on the report summary, click here.

NY Times: Getting Into College, Strumming His Own Tune

This New York Times article by Samuel G. Freedman is intriguing for a variety of reasons. First, the author rightly asserts that stress need not be a part of the college admissions process. Second, the article makes clear that students need not have "shockingly impressive" (think providing clean drinking water to war ravaged mothers and children in Burma) summer jobs and internships to get into America's best colleges and universities. Finally, whether he realizes it or not, the author of the article illustrates just how poorly advised many students are when he describes how Kevin only got into one of five schools to which he applied. All students should have a few "saftey" schools on their list (or at least one sure bet) so they will have some sort of control over where they end up the fall after their senior years in high school. Kevin is an impressive student, but his acceptance into GW was not a sure thing, rather a very lucky result. What if he had not gotten in? Most likely his only options would be community college or a four year school with a very late deadline. With Tactical College Consulting, LLC, students and parents approach the college admissions process holistically. We help students craft college lists that include a variety of colleges that - no matter each college's admissions rate - meet the academic and personal needs of our students and will be places from which they will be proud to earn a degree.

Waiting No More

Despite the national trend of universities admitting fewer students from their wait lists, two elite Illinois schools are admitting more students compared with last year's figures.

More: By Ben Goldberger and Anjali Athavaley, The Chicago Sun-Times

Op-Ed: Multiplying Benefits of College for Everybody

By Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

Recruiters Come Calling For Talented Minorities

By Nelson Hernandez, The Washington Post

In Texas, Top 10 Percent College Admissions Law Will Stay As Is

"In a surprise move, the Texas House shot down a bill Sunday night that would have limited automatic admissions at the University of Texas at Austin for (Texas) students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class."

More: By Polly Ross Hughes and Lisa Sandberg, The San Antonio Express-News

Elite Colleges Open New Door to Low-Income Youths

By Sara Rimer, The New York Times

Op-Ed: Admission Impossible?

The declining odds of getting into an elite college are mostly a statistical mirage says Kevin Carey.

More: The Dallas Morning News

Ivy League Crunch Brings New Cachet to Next Tier

"Call them second-tier colleges (a phrase some administrators despise) or call them the new Ivies (this, they can live with). Twenty-five to 40 universities...traditionally perceived as being a notch below the most elite, have seen their cachet climb because of the astonishing competitive crush at the top."

By Alan Finder, The New York Times

UCLA To Get Twice As Many Black Freshmen In Fall

By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times

College Acceptance Letter Is No Longer Ticket To Ride

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch attempts to make senioritis passé.

By Georgina Gustin


Clayton High School senior Zachary Miller,18, caught expressing his opinion of a class review for his Advance Placement Calculus AB Test
Photo Credit: Laurie Skrivan

St. John's, Dickinson, Lafayette, Drew, and Earlham College Boycott U.S. News College Rankings

More from The Baltimore Sun's Gadi Dechter

Science College First To Make SAT/ACT Scores Optional

"Officials at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts say they will make college entrance exam scores optional in admission, making it the first nationally ranked science and engineering institute to do so."

By Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY

For Some College Hopefuls, Wait Goes On And On And On...

An increasing number of schools are maintaining longer wait lists than ever. More from reporter Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times.

For Athletes, Finding A College Is Harder Than It Looks

From Florida's Fort Pierce Tribune

Give Boys A Challenge In Schools

This Op-Ed, written by a current college student, raises an issue that many are trying to address. Not all may agree with this analysis, but all should agree that it raises some important questions worth asking.

By Shane Tico, Lathrop-Manteca Sun Post (CA)

Duke's Image Faces More Polishing as Applications Sag

From Bloomberg News

Religion gets an 'A' at U.S. colleges

With all the options on campus to practice one's faith, it's no wonder that it's cool to be religious on campus.

By Alan Finder, International Herald Tribune

Tactical College Consulting 2007 Summer Tours!

Road Trip! Are you ready to visit college campuses this summer with your friends and Tactical College Consulting experts? Then read on for details regarding our three tour iterneraries for Summer 2007. For every friend who registers and joins you on your selected Tactical College Consulting, LLC tour(s), you will receive a $20 credit for present or future Tactical College Consulting, LLC services/tours. For more information and registration instructions, please call 410-526-2558.

A New York Minute $150
6/30/07 (Saturday)

See New York with friends and visit two colleges while you're at it. This day trip makes time for campus information sessions and tours of both New York University and Columbia University. We'll also have time to walk through Central Park and a stroll through the world-famous Times Square. No student will be able to pass up this action packed day.

College Taste Test Tour $400
6/22/07 - 6/23/07 (Fri-Sat)
7/20/07 - 7/21/07 (Fri-Sat)

Whether you are at the very beginning of your college search or just making the final rounds, this exciting two-day tour helps all students isolate the type of campus environment in which they feel most comfortable. We will make formal visits to four very different colleges - University of Delaware (Public, Large Research University, Rural), Swarthmore College (Private, Small Liberal Arts, Suburban), Villanova (Private/Religious Affiliation, Medium Comprehensive University, Suburban) and University of Pennsylvania (Private, Large Ivy League Research University, Urban) - where we will take part in each school's official information sessions and campus tours. Also included in this trip are visits to: Drexel University, the legendary King of Prussia Mall, Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square and South Street, and a meal at your choice of either Pat's or Geno's famed Philadelphia cheese steak shops.

Go West, Young Man (& Woman) $1,000
8/6/07 - 8/8/07 (Monday-Wednesday)

Join us for this exceptional opportunity to see three of the best universities the Midwest has to offer. This three-day trip begins as we fly into Chicago, where we will visit the University of Chicago in Hyde Park and take the L (Chicago transit) to Evanston, where we will visit the beautiful campus of Northwestern University. We will make time for stops along scenic Lake Michigan, shopping on Michigan Avenue, a journey up the unbelievable Sears Tower, and visits to museums, great Chicago eateries, and other cultural hot spots. But this trip isn't over yet! We will take a private charter bus southwest to St. Louis, Missouri, home of Washington University in St. Louis. We will tour Wash U.'s stunning campus and take a ride up St. Louis' famous Gateway Arch before we head back home.

Why It Is NOT Harder to Get Into Top Colleges

Cooler heads prevail. In other words, it's all about targeting the right schools for you.

By Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

Students Considering Va. Tech Are Impressed

From USAToday via Associated Press Newswires

MIT Admissions Dean Resigns After Claims About Resume Surface

Change - and irony - in the air at MIT.



Lesson to all: Never lie on your resume.

UPDATE (5/2/07): MIT learns ousted admissions dean has college degree after all

Panel Backs Curbing College Admission For Top 10%

For those looking at Texas public universities, this concerns you!

"Legislation to scale back automatic college admissions for the top 10 percent of (Texas) high school graduates cleared a hurdle Monday but faces a fight to get a Senate debate."

By Polly Ross Hughes, San Antonio Express-News

Should College Students Have Background Checks before Enrollment?

The Virginia Tech massacre raises many questions. While it may take years for all the repercussions to be felt, right now there are actions you can take to get a better idea of the security situation and competency of the police on campus. When you are on the campus tour or visiting the admissions office before of after an information session, ask if you can visit the police headquarters and/or ask for literature about the size, qualifications, training, etc. of campus police. Some schools have larger forces than small cities, others have very few trained officers. But even if there are many officers, ask what their training is like and what precautions are taken to prevent unthinkable violence (Believe it or not, the best forces will train for exactly what happened Monday at Virginia Tech). Don't be shy! Speak up and get answers to these important questions before you sign on the dotted line.

College Blogs Tell It Like It Is

Too much information? You decide. Via The Boston Globe.

Private Colleges Set Bar Higher

With applications and SAT scores rising, more schools are rejecting even top-line students:

"At 17 of the 33 private colleges in the newspaper's analysis, the SAT score needed to be in the top 25 percent rose by at least 20 points from 2001 to 2006. Only three of the colleges saw SAT scores drop at least 20 points. The trend also showed up in California's public colleges, but was not as pronounced."

- By Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee

A Great Year for Ivy League Schools, but Not So Good for Applicants to Them

"Harvard turned down 1,100 student applicants with perfect 800 scores on the SAT math exam. Yale rejected several applicants with perfect 2400 scores on the three-part SAT, and Princeton turned away thousands of high school applicants with 4.0 grade point averages. Needless to say, high school valedictorians were a dime a dozen."

By Sam Dillon, The New York Times

Reality-Challenged In Elite Academia

Allysia Finley, a student at Stanford University, figures out the meaning of real diversity and tells us about it in this exceptional Op-Ed in the Orange County Register.

ABC's Of The ACT: College-Bound Students Face Test's Rigors This Month

From The Green Bay Press Gazette.

Top US Colleges Show Record Rejection Rate

From The Korea Times.

The Big Picture on College Admissions As Seen Through the Eyes of Stanford's Admissions Director

Richard H. Shaw explains that while many students and parents will not get the news they want this week, a rejection letter should not act as a hurdle to future success.

More: LA Times

Princeton Leads In Grade Deflation

"Since Princeton took the lead among Ivy League schools to formally adopt a grade-deflation policy three years ago — limiting A's to an average 35% across departments — students say the pressure to score the scarcer A has intensified. Students say they now eye competitive classmates warily and shy away from classes perceived as difficult." More...

-By Laura Bruno, USA TODAY

Ivy League Increases: Yale Raises Annual Cost 4.5%, Following Other Ivies

"Yale University, the world's second- wealthiest school, will raise thecost of undergraduate tuition, fees and room and board 4.5 percent,almost twice the current rate of inflation." More...

By Matthew Keenan, Bloomberg.com

ACT and SAT Test-Takers By State

Ever wonder where the SAT and ACT are most popular or how many of your peers are taking one test or another? Below is a listing of the percentages of students who take each test in each state in both 2001 and 2006.

SAT ACT 2001 2006 2001 2006 Alabama 9 9 69 79 Alaska 51 51 34 25 Arizona 34 32 28 18 Arkansas 6 5 75 75 California 51 49 12 14 Colorado 31 26 62 100 Connecticut 82 84 4 12 Delaware 67 73 4 5 D.C. 56 78 26 30 Florida 54 65 40 45 Georgia 63 70 19 30 Hawaii 52 60 19 17 Idaho 17 19 59 57 Illinois 12 9 71 100 Indiana 60 62 20 20 Iowa 5 4 67 65 Kansas 9 8 78 75 Kentucky 12 11 72 76 Louisiana 7 6 80 74 Maine 69 73 6 10 Maryland 65 70 11 12 Massachusetts 79 85 8 13 Michigan 11 10 69 67 Minnesota 9 10 66 67 Mississippi 4 4 89 93 Missouri 8 7 70 70 Montana 23 28 55 57 Nebraska 8 7 74 76 Nevada 33 40 39 27 New Hampshire 72 82 7 12 New Jersey 81 82 4 8 New Mexico 13 13 64 60 New York 77 88 14 17 North Carolina 65 71 13 14 North Dakota 4 4 80 80 Ohio 26 28 63 66 Oklahoma 8 7 71 72 Oregon 55 55 11 13 Pennsylvania 71 74 8 9 Rhode Island 71 69 5 8 South Carolina 57 62 28 39 South Dakota 4 4 70 75 Tennessee 13 15 79 93 Texas 53 52 33 29 Utah 5 7 69 69 Vermont 69 67 9 19 Virginia 68 73 10 15 Washington 53 54 17 15 West Virginia 18 20 61 64 Wisconsin 6 6 68 68 Wyoming 11 10 64 71 Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; College Board, ACT